The Practical Leadership Skill of Optimism
Recently, The Practical Leadership Skill of Optimism has become one of Thrive Leadership’s most popular webinar topics. As the uncertainty and upheaval of the pandemic challenged many leaders, companies became more interested in strengthening optimism skills to support problem-solving and stress management. Of course, optimism is not a panacea, but it is essential in leading under pressure.
Optimistic leaders have learned to apply their cognitive skills to avoid getting stuck in unproductive thoughts when managing challenges and setbacks. They move past negative emotions like frustration and worry and look more realistically at improving a given situation. Reframing a problem allows leaders to stop feeling defeated and start working on solutions!
OPTIMISM IS AN INCREDIBLY VALUABLE LEADERSHIP SKILL
Beyond problem-solving, optimism fuels the achievement of long-term goals. When leaders are optimistic about the future, they put more effort into reaching goals. Their employees and teams dedicate more energy to progress against shared objectives. When leaders perceive an outcome as attainable, they are more likely to persist with the plan, even when they face obstacles or slow progress. Although stressful circumstances are inevitable, leaders with solid optimism don’t over-catastrophize. Instead, they are likely to engage in active and effective coping and problem-solving, ultimately leading to better performance and health.
Research indicates that optimism is a crucial differentiator between successful leaders and others in the workplace. In their seminal study into what makes leaders credible, Kouzes and Posner identified being forward-looking as a critical success factor for leadership. Many people want to follow a leader who believes that today’s challenges and hard work will lead to a more successful tomorrow. Kouzes and Posner weren’t the only researchers to reveal the value of optimistic leaders. When Zenger and Folkman looked at leaders who scored at or above the 99th percentile on innovation with a 360-degree feedback survey, their peers, direct reports, and managers often described how they projected optimism.
TRUE OPTIMISM ASSUMES ADEQUATE REALITY TESTING
Although often misunderstood, optimism is more than simply looking on the bright side. We are not talking about personality traits or those who seem to have been born with a naturally sunny disposition. Optimistic leaders do not blindly believe that things will turn out for the best no matter what. They do not ignore facts or dismiss evidence.
McKinsey recently outlined the skills needed by leaders during a crisis, one of which was “bounded optimism.” Leaders need to display confidence that their company will get through the problem successfully. However, they will lose credibility if they show excessive confidence despite obviously tricky conditions. Instead, leaders are most effective when they project confidence that the company will navigate the challenges while recognizing the uncertainty of the crisis and early steps taken to address the problem. As Kouzes and Posner said, “Credible leaders are hopeful about the future – and yielding enough to heed words of caution.”
There is a difference between healthy reality testing and pessimism. While beneficial reality testing includes an objective review of the facts, pessimistic leaders get stuck and ruminate over the negatives. Pessimistic leaders tend to find challenges overwhelming and believe they cannot change the situation, creating a negative contagion.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO BOOST YOUR OPTIMISM
With awareness and practice, you can intentionally employ this skill in certain situations for better results and for the people with whom you work. Then, the next time you face an overwhelming challenge or start to get frustrated, you have a choice in your approach. Try the following four best practices to strengthen your optimism muscle for better results.
Consider multiple options, focusing on what you can directly influence.
Acknowledge and appreciate what gives you confidence that things will work out (e.g., creative ideas, teamwork, retained customers).
The business and personal applications of optimism make it a “need to have” skill, not a “nice to have.” More than ever, employees follow forward-looking leaders with “can do” attitudes, not those entrenched in the past or fixated on what’s broken. Optimistic leaders get people unstuck and moving in a positive direction, resulting in engaged and productive teams. That’s precisely what many of us need now.
Stay tuned for more best practices to stay hopeful (and pragmatic!) in navigating the changing world of work!
Author: Cathleen Swody